Friction draft rigging



Feb. 3. 1925. 1,525,031

E. G. eooowm FRICTION DRAFT RIGGING Filed Dec. 11, 1923 M )QIEEVENTOR IM Wn ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,Z5,fi31

PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST G. GOODWIN, OF PELHAM, NEW YORK, ASSEGNOR TO STANDARD COUPLER('20., OF NF-V YORK, N. Y.. A, CURPORATIOII NEW JERSEY.

FRICTION DR AFT RIGGING.

Application filed D cemb r 11. 1923,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST G, GoonwIN. a citizen of the United States,residing at Pelham, in the county of lVestchester and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Friction DraftRigging, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apperta-ins tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for yieldinglyresisting stresses and more especially in some of its details toimprovements in friction, butting and draft gear for use in connectionwith railway cars and the like.

The general object of the invention is the provision of an improvedfriction draft gear, which is light, strong, wear-resistant, andsusceptible of ready repair and replacement of parts, and the partswhereof are readily interchangeable with those of old draft gears ofsimilar type.

Another object is to provide in a draft gear of the type mentioned acombined spring plate and friction center wedge block of improvedintegral cast construction, which is light and well adapted to endureunder severe service conditions. being moreover economical in productionand maintenance costs.

Other objects will be in part pointed out in connection with thefollowing detailed description of a preferred embodiment of theinvention, and will be in part obvious in connection therewith.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction.combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the apparatus hereinafter described and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and objects of theinvention. reference is had to the accompanying drawings, showing anillustrative but preferred embodiment, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a friction draft gearembodying the invention, parts being broken away for clearness ofdisclosure;

Fig. 2 is afragmentary plan view, parts being shown in centralhorizontal section;

Fig. 3 is a front end elevation of the center friction block; and

Serial No. 6 79.833.

Figs. 4 and are respectively side and end views of the center frictionblock, parts being showr n central section.

Certain features of the present invention are disclosed in :plicantsprior application, Serial No. 5: c.5375, filed April 18. 1922. and tothe extent of the common disclosure the present application may beconsidered a continuation of the prior application.

Referring now to the drawing for a detailed description of theembodiment of the invention there discl sed. the draft gear is shown asmounted between sills l0 (indicated in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 9)which may be the draft sills of a railway car or the like. being securedin a known manner in the underfraniing const.nction of the car. Stops 11and 12 are preferably riveted to the inner faces of the draft sills 10,formi ng abutment stops for the forward and rea follower plates 13 and14 extending bet.'.een the draft sills. As will be under stood, draftand bufling stresses are transmitted to the follower plates and through{h o 1 th" l! in) eiixnzents them elves, through a draw bar which may heof stand ard preferred construction. Such stresses will therefore becushioned through the draft rigging and transmitted to the car frame.

The draft and buffing elements proper are mounted between the draftsills. lying between the follower plates, and include a spring barrel1?) abutting against a flange 16 extending from a friction box 17. andproviding a seat for transmitting stresses between the spring barrel andfriction box. The friction box is preferably of forged or cast metal,and side friction blocks 18 and a center friction block 19 are partiallyhoused within the mouth of the friction box. Inner and outer concentricsprings 20 and 21 are housed within the spring barrel abutting atadjacent ends with one of the follower plates as 13 and at theiropposite ends abutting with spring seats provided on the center frictionblock.

The spring barrel 16 is made up of one or more, preferably two, wroughtmetal plates bent into approximately rectangular, or similar. polygonalform and having overlapping riveted edges 22 which are preferablyarranged at the corners or angles of the spring barrel so as to occupythe space available therefor without in any way limiting the size ofdraft springs used or interfering with the application of the draftyoke, which is made in astandard size, The spring barrel seats at oneend against the corresponding follower plate 12% and at the opposite endagainst the seat formed by the flange 16 as mentioned. the fruition boxbeing provided with integral lugs 23 an gagenient with the end edges ofthe barrel There are but two of these lugs. one being located on eachlateral side of the friction box. each being relatively longpcrintetricah l and engaged with the curved sur ace f the barrelintermediate the angles thereof. so as to afford ample support to holdthe l t rel and friction box in proper cooperative positions. Thefriction boil in preferabl rectangular, being provided with innerlatcrallv disposed friction surfaces for cooporation with the opi iosedfriction surfaces of the side friction blocks, as clearlv shown in Fig.2. I

The side friction blocks ma be of a standard type of c nstruction, preferalrl c of cast metal. but the center block it) i of spe cial improvedconstruction in which the block proper and the spring plate adapted forforn'iin seats for the draft spring): cast integrally as a singlespeciall: forced unit. As shown, the center bl, preferahl: of hollow cst construction, ing inclined friction faces for ceopera with theopposed contactine; aces of the so friction blocks. All the frictionblocks are prcferablv wedge or t gnlar shape as shown. The centerfriction bloclt is sale stantiallv rectangular in base plan with roundedcorners to conform approximately to the inner transverse contour of thespring barrel, and is provided with an external peripheral base flange25 formed integral with the block and forniing not only a stiffening andrigidifying member at the base of the friction hloclt where servicestresses are particularlv heavy. but it also forms an extension from thebase of the block to provide a seat extension for the correspondin; endof the outer draft spring 2 Also adjacent the base of the centerfriction block and substantiall; forming the base wall thereof is aninternal or inwardly extending flange disposed around the base of theblock This flange 26 also performs the double fnnetion of rigidifvingthe base of the block and providing a seat for the inner draft spring 20for which purpose it may be recessed as indicated at 27.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the exterior and interior baseflanges 25 and 26 cooperates to rigidify the center friction block atthe base where service stresses are heaviest, thus permitting a lighthollow structure without sacrificing requisite rigidity to eflectuallywithstand the stresses to which the different regions of the block aresubjected. These two flanges also provide in eff I an integral springplate for cooperat inc; with the draft springs, thus entirely a voidiiiin; s parate spring plate construction, is found in practice to beexpensive and likely to get out of order.

'lhe ex erior flange at the top and bot-- t m of the -och i (see Fig. l)is positioned to horizontally overlap the inner overhanging edges is ofthe friction box, so as to hold the block and fr ction blocks inassembled in assembling the parts, the center phiced n position frontthe inner he fric ion ho; and these two parts '2: position b contactingof with the overhanging walls :ion blocks being then placed Theseassembled parts are then read lv placed as a unit in position betweenthe follower plates .3 and 14-. The center bl ck constructed and described readily in erchangeable with center bloclis employed in similartypes of friction drr geir, lvut einploving a sepze retel con tr ct dattached spring plate.

Since certain changes may be made in the a tove cznzetruction anddifferent einbodiments of the invent on could be made without departingfr n the scope thereof. it is intei'ided that al iirtt er contained inthe above description or shown in the accon1- pan ving dra 'ings shallbe interpreted as illtet'rat :ird not in a limiting sense.

lt is al o to be understood that the followiiw minis are intended tocorer all of the ieric and specitie features of the invent-ion hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as amatter of language. might be said to fall therebetween.

flaving described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Let ters Patent, is:

l in a friction draft gear, the combination with a spring barrel, draftsprings dispo d within said barrel and a friction box arranged adjacentsaid barrel, of center and side friction blo ks disposed within said boxard having fricti n faces cooperating with correspond ng friction facesof the friction lid: and with ea h other. said center friction blocl:being hollow and having a spring plate formed integral therewith toprovide seats for the draft spring, the spring plate being formed h s ant roid peripheral base flange formed on the center block and providing aseat extension for an end of one draft spring, the sprin plate beingfurther formed by an interior flange extending around the base of thecenter block and being provided with a depressed seat for the receptionof a second draft spring. the exterior and interior flanges cooperatingto provide complementary rigidifying members adjacent the base of thecenter block, the friction box being provided reason with inner walls tocooperate with said ex ternal flange for retaining the block inassembled position in the friction box.

2. In a friction draft gear. the combination with a spring barrel. draftsprings disposed within said barrel. and a friction box arrangedadjacent said barrel. of center and side friction blocks disposed withinsaid box and having friction faces cooperating with correspondingfriction faces of the box and with eael other. said center frictionblock being hollow and having a spring plate formed integral therewithto provide seats for the draft springs. the spr ng plate being formed byan external peripheral base flange formed on the center block andprovidin;- a seat extension.for an end of one draft spring. the springplate being further formed by an interior flange extending around thebase of the center block and being provided with a depressed seat forthe reception of an end of a second draft spring. the exterior andinterior flanges cooperating to provide coinpleinentarv rigidifyingmembers adjacent the base of the center block.

3. In a friction draft gear, the coinbinir tion with a spring barrel.draft springs dis posed within said barrel. and a friction box adjacentwhich said barrel is disposed. of center and side friction blocksdisposed within said box and having friction faces cooperating withcorresponding friction faces of the box and with each other, said centerblock having a spring plate formed integral with the base thereof toprovide seats for the draft springs, the spring plate being formed bycomplementary exterior and interior base. flanges, the exterior baseflange extending peripherally of the center block and providing a seatextension for one draft spring. the inner flange extending around thebase of the block and being provided with a depressed seat for receivingan end of a econd draft spring, said exterior and interior flangescooperating to rigidify the center blo k at the base portion thereof.

l. In a friction draft gear. the combination with a spring barrel, draftsprings housed within said barrel. and a friction box arranged adjacentsaid barrel, of friction blocks disposed within said box and havingfriction faces cooperating with corresponding faces of the box and witheach other. one of said blocks having a spring plate formed integrallyat the base thereof to provide seats for the draft springs, an exteriorperipheral flange extending integrally from the base of said block andproviding a seat extension for the spring plate against which one ofsaid springs rests, and providing furthermore. a rigidifying rib for thebase of said block. said spring plate being also formed with a depressedseat lying inwardly of said external flange and adapted to receive theadjacent end of a second draft spring.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of twowitnesses.

ERNEST G. GOODVVIN. Witnesses P. F. PRICE. MARY M. VARLEY.

